


New Beginnings

by CheatsyKoopa34



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2018-12-20 22:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11931027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheatsyKoopa34/pseuds/CheatsyKoopa34
Summary: After a successful mission in Kings Row, Lena Oxton soon learns that it was only the beginning of her journey as an Overwatch agent. A new threat immediately arises after Null Sector. Lena meets new faces along the way as she returns back home. She must find a way to face the threat and keep her friends safe.





	1. Aftermath

“Hah! Job done!” 

Lena confidently shouted across the power plant as the last Null Sector unit was torn down into shreds by the strike team. It was her first active duty mission and it led out as a big success. 

Angela flew to Lena and patted her in the back. 

“I told you there’s nothing to worry about, Lena.”

Reinhardt called over Strike Commander Jack Morrison through the comms with his usual loud voice.

“Orders complete, Commander Morrison. What’s next?” 

“--We have evac coming to pick you up in a few minutes. They’ll be over by the clock tower. I’ll be seeing you all in my office when you arrive. Morrison out.”

“You heard the man! MOVE OUT!”

And with that Reinhardt charged his way to the evac point. The others followed after.

King's Row still seemed quiet even after they took Null Sector down. There was no sign of life. No humans, no animals. It was just them and a heaping mass of destroyed Null Sector units.

The jet was already there when the strike team arrived. They rushed through the smoke and entered the jet.

While en route back to the headquarters. The four couldn’t help but chat to each other. In the meantime, Reinhardt had a plan for tonight so they could celebrate. Reinhardt began off by approaching Lena, who was laying down with her legs occupying the adjacent seat.

“So rookie, how was your first mission?”

Lena was startled at Reinhardt’s voice and immediately sat straight, but then she realized that Reinhardt was only asking her nicely.

“Ummm, more than fine, Lieutenant! I was blazing through Null Sector and taking the down on after another! My legs hurt from all the running and blinking though…”

The lieutenant sat down beside Lena and chuckled. He then proceeded to call Angela and Torbjorn.

“Indeed you have, Tracer. Hey everyone! Anyone free tonight? I’m planning on getting a drink at a bar near HQ with the team.”

Angela and Torbjorn didn’t hesitate and agreed to join in Reinhardt’s gimmick.

“Sounds good, Reinhardt. How about you guys?”

“Torbjorn is ready for a drink! Just like old times, Reinhardt!

The three looked at Lena, making her feel awkward. She softly tapped her feet on the ground and looked down. Reinhardt decided to convince her.

“Come on, rookie! There’s nothing to worry about. Besides, Torbjorn is paying, right?”

Reinhardt smirked and stared at Torbjorn. Torbjorn’s face became pale and his eyeballs narrowed upon hearing Reinhardt’s words. He clenched his fists in anger but Reinhardt held him down.  
“W……what!? How am I paying!?”

“Last one to the clock tower was a rotten egg, like Lena here said. Clearly that was you, Torb. Give the rookie a chance. It’s her first time to celebrate with us.”

“Grrr… fine!”

“See? That wasn’t so hard. Sooo, rookie, are you coming with us?”

Lena giggled faintly and finally agreed. She used to feel uncomfortable with them but she guessed wrong. Maybe they are her friends after all.

“Alright, alright, Reinhardt. I’m comin’!”

“Now we got a full team together! We’ll see you there, rookie! As soon as we deal with Commander Morrison.”


	2. Debriefing

The strike team arrived on schedule. It was 5:17pm and the sun was just about to set. They were greeted by their fellow agents, who applauded and cheered as they disembarked.

It wasn’t long until they arrived at Strike Commander Morrison’s office. He was sitting at his desk, talking to an unknown person through transmission.

“I’m on it. I’ll just arrange- hang on, sir. I’ll be back with you in a while. They’re here.”

The four saluted upon arrival. Jack cut the transmission and stood up from his chair. He then started to brief the four agents and shook their hands. 

“Great job out there, strike team! Let’s hope it does give Kings Row another shot for peace. I just spoke to the Prime Minister and he is thankful for what he did. As of now, all of you will be on hold. Have a break and get some rest, agents. We will contacting you as soon as something new comes up. Dismissed. Oh, by the way, thanks for looking out for the rookie.”

The four agents began walking out of the room. As Lena was about to go out, Jack called her out.

“Agent Oxton, a word with you please?”

Lena stood aside upon hearing him. Jack then proceeded to close the door and walk back to his desk. Lena was shivering. She didn’t know what Jack would do or say to her. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what might happen, making her nervous. She decided to speak up but she was still stammering in her words.

“W-what is it, sir??

“I just want to say that I am really impressed at your performance in your first active duty mission.”

It was a commendation from the strike commander himself. Lena was flattered. She hid her face in excitement.

“Ehhh… I’m still getting the hang of it, especially with the abilities of my chronal accelerator.”

“Good to know, Oxton. I want to inform you that we’ll be keeping it that way. You’re officially part of the strike team now. Congratulations!

Jack shook Lena’s hand firmly. Lena was stunned at her excitement and shook back. 

“R-really sir!? Uhh... great! Ah-! I-I mean, thank you, sir! I won’t let you down, I promise!”

Lena’s dream to be part of active duty has finally come to life. She was no longer just a pilot flying the organization around the world. She is now a legitimate agent, being brought into the field to stop bad guys.

“Alright, Agent Oxton. You should probably go now. The strike team is waiting for you outside. Dismissed.

Lena exited the room with a big smile on her face. The others observed her expression and went up to her. 

“Whoa, someone’s in a good mood. What happened in there?”

Angela was curious at the rookie’s emotions. A while ago she was trembling in the room but now she’s feeling more confident than ever.

“Commander Morrison just told me that I’m staying with you guys. In the strike team!

“Nice! I guess we still have a lot of missions to spend together, Lena.”

Reinhardt coughed to interrupt their conversation.

“Ahem-! Really appreciate the announecement, but- f you’ll follow me, we’ll get going to our celebration now. I hope you have a high alcohol tolerance, rookie.”

“Hah! Only one way to find out for sure, Reinhardt!”

“I like your spirit! Keep at it!”


	3. Post-Celebration

It was already 8:47 pm and the agents have already gotten themselves drunk, except for Lena. She was still taking it all slowly. Meanwhile, Reinhardt and Torbjorn were already storming across the bar with loud voices.

“HAHA! Bring me another!!!”

“Same here! If I’m paying then I’ll make it worth my while!”

Angela was quietly sitting in a chair beside Lena. She looked at Lena. Her hands were crossed on to the table and her face was showing signs of stress.

“Hey, Lena. Everything okay?”

The doctor sipped on her cold glass of booze. Lena was startled. She jerked her hand to sit upright and grabbed her glass, carelessly spilling some of the drink. She realized it was only Angela and let out a deep sigh.

“Huh? Ah-! I’m okay, Dr. Ziegler. I was just wondering about my hometown. I don’t think we could recover from what happened.”

“Come on, Lena. Everything’s going to be okay. As Commander Morrison said, he was coordinating with the Prime Minister. I’m pretty sure everything will be back to normal as soon as possible.”

“I’m planning to go back there in Kings Row and stay for a while. I could spend a few days of my break in there.”

“Well that’s good. Come on, have some fun and celebrate with us! We don’t have a chance to do this every day. Besides, we’re celebrating because we liberated your hometown from those omnics. I’ll get you another drink.”

After moments of silence, Lena finally agreed.

"I guess you're right. Thanks!"

"Okay. Come on then, we still have a long night ahead of us."

Angela and Lena stood up and went to where Reinhardt and Torbjorn were. The four had a good time and chatted. It wasn't too bad at all for Lena. She shared stories and laughed with the team throughout the night.

It was already 10:50 pm and Lena was already feeling tipsy. Meanwhile, the two older members were engaging in an arm wrestling match against each other, in which Torbjorn always loses.   
"Come on, Torbjorn! I was going easy on you!"

"Rrgh! Don't get too cocky, Rein. This time I'll beat you!"

"HAHA! Bring it on!"

As they were about to start, Angela interrupted and stopped them.

"That's enough, guys. You're causing quite a disturbance in here."

"What!? No we're not..."

"Hey, Mercy! How 'bout we play a game of 'mercy'?"

"Enough! You guys will stop or I'll have you kicked out."

The two stopped and sat down. After a few minutes, Angela spoke up to Lena.

"I'm sorry about what happened. I wouldn't want them causing any trouble."

"It's good, Dr. Ziegler. Are you sure the name Mercy fits you? Haha I mean you were coming out strong awhile ago?"

Before Angela could speak, Reinhardt called Lena.

"Hey, rookie! is it just me or does wearing that cap make you look like a flight attendant? Hah! Take it off."

Lena rolled her eyes and took of her cap. She placed it in the table and giggled softly. As she sat down, she was starting to feel woozy.

"Okay, Reinhardt. Uhhh can you guys excuse me for a while. I'll just go out to get some fresh air."

"Aww come on, Tracer. We were just getting started."

"I'll be back as soon as possible. Don't worry."


	4. New Faces

Lena insisted and started walking outside. As soon as she stepped outside, she observed the streets. It was pitch black, except for a few street lights that illuminate the place. People were already walking briskly and rushing to get home. 

From a distance, the Overwatch headquarters could be seen. The emblem was lit brightly that it was difficult to not notice it during nighttime. 

Lena placed her hands on her pockets and took a walk. She was trying to warm herself from the chilly air. Everyone who went past her stared at her chest, where her chronal accelerator was located. It was emitting a bright blue light around her. As she walked, she thought of how weird it is that she had to wear a heavy device on her chest just so she'd be anchored in the present. She had to carry it around every day before, during and after work. If it wasn't for that incident with the Slipstream, she would just be normal like everybody else. 

She always thought of being lost in time as an equal to death itself. She was thankful that someone like Winston was able to save her from a situation where she almost lost hope. And the chronal accelerator gave her new abilities as well. 

After walking a few blocks, Lena stopped by a lamp post to catch her breath. She was still feeling tipsy. Suddenly, her head started to hurt badly. She realized that it wasn't due to being drunk; it was the chronal disassociation kicking in. 

The headache made her gasp and fall to her knees. Lena placed one hand on the lamp post for support and the other on her chronal accelerator. It was whirring noisily. 

The headache just seems to get worse by the minute. Lena placed her hands on her head. She wanted to scream from the excruciating pain but she held herself. 

As if someone was talking in her head, she heard a soft voice.

"Lena..."

Lena was confused at hearing the voice. She looked around but there was no one near her. The voice spoke again, this time in a calmer manner.

"Lena..."

The voice sounded exactly like Lena's own voice. She thought that she was already hallucinating from the pain. The voice did not stop. It was louder this time.

"Lena..."

The view was getting blurry as her vision was slowly impairing. Lena was struggling to pull herself together and stand up. As she forced herself up by hanging on to the lamp post, a shadowy figure appeared near her standing still. She tried to observe the person despite the blurry sight. It was a female, and it looked exactly like Lena, except that she had white hair and no chronal accelerator on her chest. She was probably the one calling Lena. Cautiously, Lena tried to approach her, but as she blinked her eyes, the person disappeared.

"Who was that? A doppelganger of sorts?"

Lena whispered to herself. She was freaking out. Having a terrible case of chronal disassociation, being slightly drunk and seeing someone who looked exactly like her, everything was overwhelming her. Luckily, the headache brought by the sudden chronal disassociation was subsiding. 

She held on to the lamp post and coughed. As she turned around, a woman ran up to her and helped her out. She had long red hair and tiny freckles on her cheeks.

"Are you alright!? I just saw you squirming around. For a moment I thought you were having a bloody seizure."

The redhead spoke in a bold, British accent. Lena breathed heavily as she was being helped by the woman.

"Nnnngh... I'm okay. Thanks, love. I swear I just felt like my head was about to explode!"

"Well, if you want I can call a doctor."

"No that won't be necessary. I can go by my own. I'm feeling better."

Lena politely declined the offer and turned around to go back to the bar. As she turned, the woman noticed the Overwatch emblem on Lena's shoulder pads.

"Y-you work in Overwatch? Wait... I recognize you! You're one of the agents sent to Kings Row."

Lena was flattered. She didn't know what to say.

"Uhh yeah. I was one of the agents sent there. Why?"

"I was worried that the situation in England would worsen. I live there. I thought that the omnics would finally take over and make the place unsafe for us. Thankfully, you guys saved my country and I can finally go home."

"I'm glad I could help a fellow citizen. The name's Lena Oxton. I'm from England as well."

"Emily. It's nice meeting you, Lena. Well, I hate to say this but I got to go. I guess I'll see you soon, neighbor."

Emily smiled and parted. Lena blushed. She stood still and talked from a distance.

"See ya, Emily."

Lena turned around and headed back to the bar. She kept thinking about Emily. "Emily was a nice person," Lena thought. Although this was something different. Lena was having feelings for the woman she just met.

While she was busy thinking, a person was watching her, holding a sniper rifle on a rooftop behind her. The sniper was aimed directly at Lena's head. However, a distraction caused the shot to miss and hit the ground near Lena.

"Whoa!"

The gunshot startled Lena. She ran and blinked to cover. She moved slightly to scan the streets and find the person who attempted to assassinate her. Upon checking the rooftops, she saw the perp. It was a woman with slightly taller height than Lena and purple hair. The woman fell back and walked out of Lena's sight.

This night was too messed up for Lena. She was just going to breathe the fresh air and fight off the tipsy feeling but more events happened in a span of time. Lena checked her watch for the time. It was already a minute past midnight. She quietly sneaked out through the narrow hallways and rushed back to the bar.


	5. Midnight Shenanigans

Lena walked in the bar only to notice that Reinhardt and Torbjorn passed out. Angela was the only one who noticed her. She couldn’t help but laugh upon seeing Lena’s face. Lena was looking terribly haggard as if she just vomited in the streets.

"Welcome back, Lena. Everything alright? Doesn’t look like it."

Lena panted and shook her head.

"I'm just tired, Dr. Ziegler. We should go. It's midnight already."

"Okay. I'll just wake these clowns up. Hey! Reinhardt! Torbjorn! It's time to head back now."

The two groaned and got up. As soon as they all finished fixing their stuff they started heading back to the headquarters.

The four arrived in the headquarters after a few minutes. They were all silent and tired as they made their way to their sleeping quarters. Torbjorn and Reinhardt slept immediately as they entered the sleeping quarters.

Lena took off her cap and goggles and washed her face in the sink. She was still trying to keep herself awake. Angela noticed her and called her out.

"Lena, I don't think you're telling me something. Did anything happen while you were out a while ago?"

Lena turned off the sink. She put her goggles back on and sat down beside Angela. 

"I'm really sorry, Dr. Ziegler. It's been a long day and I'm very tired already. A while ago, while I was outside, my chronal accelerator started to act weirdly and I had a terrible headache because of it. Next thing I knew, I think I saw someone who looked exactly like me, but she had white hair... she wasn't wearing a chronal accelerator unlike I do. She was literally beside me. Just when I started to feel better, I tried to find her but she was gone!"

Angela was shocked. Despite being a doctor, she had no idea of what happened to Lena. This was definitely something Angela’s not familiar of.

"That's weird. Maybe you should go visit Winston if he's still awake. You could talk to him about the incident."

"Yeah. I'll talk to the big guy. Thanks, Dr. Ziegler. You should get some rest now."

Lena got up and walked to Winston's office. She avoided blinking as to not disturb the silent hallways. Most of the Overwatch agents are already asleep at this time. The only ones left awake are security and agents who work late.

"Miss Oxton! What brings you here this late? Aren't you supposed to take the job off for the meantime and rest? You could go back to London."

Winston was surprised at Lena's sudden visit. He turned off the soft music playing and wore his glasses. Lena giggled at his gestures.

"I just had a post celebration with the team, Winston. I could have gotten here earlier. Anyway, I'm here because I think there is something wrong with my chronal accelerator."

"Hmm... okay. What seems to be the problem?"

"My chronal accelerator was malfunction a while ago while I was just walking in the streets. It started whirring noisily and I was starting to feel the chronal disassociation again. I had a terrible headache and my vision was getting blurry."

"I see. I guess your chronal accelerator was running out of juice after a long day. I'll just go make a few adjustments. I'm still trying to make more improvements to your chronal accelerator. I promise I'll give you a better model soon."

"Aww thanks, love! I'll try to make it up with you... with some peanut butter!"

Peanut butter gets Winston all the time. It was his obsession. Winston drooled at Lena's offer. 

"Ooohh peanut butter, sounds good! That's very nice of you. And... you're good to go. Hopefully your chronal accelerator will be 5% more effective now."

Winston finished the final touches in Lena's chronal accelerator. Lena, on the other hand, was still joking around and flattering him.

"You didn't have to say it to me when it's just THAT small!"

"Hey! It's better than 4%, or 3%, or-"

"Haha! It's fine, big guy. No worries. I'll keep it in check as always. I'll be going now."

Winston bursted into laughter. As Lena was starting to walk out. Winston brought out a cable device and caught up to Lena.

"I want you to take this. It's a charger for your chronal accelerator. If your chronal accelerator starts flashing that means that it's near critical level. You wouldn't want the same thing that happened earlier to happen again, right?"

Lena smiled and took the charger. She softly patted Winston’s head and giggled.

"Thanks, Winston... for looking out for me all the time."

"Of course! Besides you said you'll be giving me peanut butter."

"Whaaaa!? Haha just kidding! I will keep that in mind. Gotta go now. Night, big guy!"

"See you, Lena!"

Winston closed the door and resumed the soft music that was playing a while ago. He was thinking about Lena. She's a good girl, and despite everything that happened to her, getting lost in time and nearly getting killed in the incident, she's always keeping a positive attitude. If someone else was in her shoes, that person would have lost all hope of getting back. He has high hopes for her, and he wanted to do everything he could to keep her alive and in the present.

Lena walked back to the sleeping quarters feeling better, although she still feels a bit drunk. While on the way, she came across Jack, who was just about to go back into his office.

"Agent Oxton? What are you doing this late?"

Lena sighed and looked down. He sounded almost like Winston when she showed up to him.

"I swear that's the second time someone asked me that bloody question!"

Jack was surprised at how Lena responded to him. He started to feel a bit furious.

"Excuse me!?"

In an instant, Lena realized that she sounded rude to Jack. She started to panic. She has just probably lost Jack's trust, and now he's mad at her. A sincere apology had to come immediately from her.

"Uh-! No, I didn't mean that... ugh. I'm really sorry, sir. I'm really tired and I'm still kinda drunk. I just had Winston do some adjustments to my chronal accelerator."

"Hmm, I see. Okay. You may go now."

Jack spoke boldly at the rookie. It was the first time he ever acted that way to Lena. Jack was usually in a friendly mood when he speaks to her. It's probably due to the way she spoke, or he's just tired as well, Lena thought.

As the strike commander walked away from a stunned Cadet Oxton, he turned back as if he forgot something. He was walking briskly towards Lena. She felt terrified and thought again. He is probably going to scold her. She looked away from Jack.

"OXTON!"

Shivers came down from Lena’s spine as Jack called her attention. She could feel her heart beating fast and sweat was dripping from her face. It was as if she was cornered and a serial killer is about to come and murder her. Lena slowly turned around and spoke nervously.

"Y-yesss, Commander Morrison?

"I just wanted to tell you that I'll be going to England tomorrow to speak with the Prime Minister. If you want I can drop you off there. You'll save a trip home."  
In an instant, Lena's worrying face turned into a smile. She exhaled and wiped off the sweat from her face.

"Really!? I'd love to!"

"Alright then. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning. I'll call you up when we'll be going."

"Thank you, sir!"

"Get some rest now. I'll see you tomorrow."

Lena thought wrong. Jack wasn't going to scold her. He actually did the opposite. Jack just offered her a ride home. Maybe he is actually being friendly to her. Lena silently walked back to the sleeping quarters and immediately slept. It's been a hell of a day for Lena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! I'm here to make a quick announcement. I might not be able to update for a few days due to internet connection problems. Don't worry! I'll be back as soon as the internet is fixed. For the meantime, don't forget to follow me on twitter (@CheatsyKoopa34) for announcements, updates and any hints on future chapters and/or works. Feel free to DM me on twitter or send me a mail if you have any questions or comments. ☺


	6. Chronal Tracer

The next morning felt a lot different for Lena. She didn’t groan or complain about waking up early, although she was feeling hungover. She got up immediately to prepare herself and zipped into the canteen to take her breakfast. 

The canteen was crowded as usual. The line was piled up and the place is filled with noisy chatter. Lena patiently waited in line to get her helping of whatever was there. After waiting for more than 10 minutes, she got her serving: bacon and eggs with a cup of coffee. 

As the rookie looked for a free seat to sit in, she heard Reinhardt call her through all the indistinct chatter.

“Hey, rookie! Over here!”

Lena saw Reinhardt sitting in a table in a corner along with Angela and Torbjorn. Their faces still look haggard from last night.

“Hey, loves! Didn’t expect you guys to be here. To be honest, I thought you guys were gonna oversleep. Y’know, from last night.”

Lena giggled softly and sat down with them and drank her coffee.

“Don’t sweat it. We wouldn’t leave you behind.”

Torbjorn’s voice was still breaking from the tiredness as he spoke to Lena. Lena simply sighed and smiled. She is also tired from last night, especially because she was the last to sleep. However, the thought of going back to London kept coming in her mind. She itched to tell the team of her plans for today.

“It’s okay, Torbjorn. We’re all still quite hungover from last night. Anyway, I wanna tell you guys that I'm going back later, in London. Commander Morrison just offered me a ride home.

The announcement brought mixed reactions to the three. Reinhardt stared blankly at Lena and pleaded her to stay. Angela chuckled and playfully jeered at her. Lastly, Torbjorn simply wished her to be safe.

"Come on! You can still stay and have fun with us."

"Well, look at you. Pulling favors from the strike commander himself."

"Watch yourself out there. We wouldn't want anyone missing in our team."

At first Lena felt overwhelmed by their reactions, but then she realized that they are only happy for her and there to look after her.

"Thanks, guys... for looking out for me and for being good friends to me. I promise to look after myself and that I'll be back soon."

The three nodded in acknowledgement. Lena finished her plate and brought it to the counter. She still had to fix her stuff.

"Sorry, loves. I still have to fix the stuff that I'll bring home. I gotta go ahead now."

She immediately blinked back to their sleeping quarters and took her bag. She took some clothes and a few personal belongings and placed them orderly in the bag. She breezed through her locker and looked for anything else that she might need to take with her.

As Lena was about to finish packing, she heard a voice, again. It sounded familiar, just like the one calling her last night.

"Psst... hey!"

Lena turned around and saw a person standing right beside her. It was the same person who appeared in the streets last night. Lena blinked away and acted aggressively towards her.

"Who are you!? Are you following me? How did you get in here!?"

The strange doppelganger only smirked, making Lena more furious. Lena brought out her pulse pistols from the holsters in her arms and gave a final warning.

"What do you want!? If you don't tell me what you're doing here, I will have to bring you in."

The stranger turned at her and began to speak.

“That won’t be necessary. I came from inside your chronal accelerator, and I’m here to help you.”

“You… W-WHAT!?”

Lena was shocked at the stranger’s reply. Lena thought that she isn’t even taking her seriously.

“From my chronal accelerator, seriously!?”

“Calm down, Lena. If you hurt me, you’ll technically be damaging your chronal accelerator. I need to talk to you.”

Lena scoffed at her excuses, although she was surprised that the stranger knew her name.

“Another lame excuse just so I wouldn’t hurt you. What else is new from your ‘fairy tale’?”

The stranger gave no reply. She simply shrugged and sat down on Lena’s bed. 

The gesture made Lena very pissed at her. She grabbed the stranger by the collar of her leather jacket and dragged her to the wall. Without hesitation, Lena landed a hard blow in her stomach. In that instant the chronal accelerator sparked, electrocuting Lena and making her fall down to her knees. The stranger walked up to her closely.

“Not convinced, yet?”

Lena gasped and tried to get up. 

“Urgh… okay. So what do you want?”

“I need to warn you about something. Have you ever heard of Talon?”

“Talon? Never heard of it.” 

“There was someone who tried to kill you last night. Whoever that person is, he or she is part of them.”

“Oh…”

Lena was suddenly silenced. She just realized that she was talking to some kind of spirit that is almost exactly like her. Also, the thought of Talon spooked her. There might be a probability that they would follow her back in London. Lena laughed nervously and began to speak again.

“Well… this is weird. You know, I should call you something. I mean, I wouldn’t want to call you Lena because it makes me feel awkward if I call you so. Anyway, I’ll use my call sign, Tracer and since you’re like from my chronal accelerator, I’ll add the word chronal. Chronal Tracer. How does that sound?”

The stranger simply nodded in agreement.

“So Chronal Tracer, what’s this Talon thingy you were talking about? Also, I’m sorry about what happened earlier. I thought you were just some crazy person. I was just- .”  
Their conversation was interrupted as she saw Angela, who just entered the room. She was confused at who Lena was talking with.

“Lena!? What’s going on?”

“What? Uhh…”

Lena looked around the room to look for ‘Chronal Tracer’ but she was nowhere in sight. She smiled awkwardly at Angela.

“Nothing, Dr. Ziegler. I was just trying to recall some things. You know me. I like speaking to myself so I’d memorize it better, right?”

Angela chuckled at Lena and gave her a piece of paper.

“Right… Anyway, Jack- I mean Commander Morrison is waiting for you. He says you guys will be leaving in a few minutes.”

Lena scratched her hair in relief and took the piece of paper. It was a note from Jack: ‘See me at the hangar, bay P-06. –Jack Morrison’.

“Oh-! Well I guess I gotta go now. See ya soon, Dr. Ziegler!”

Lena took her bag and blinked to the hangar. It’s time for her to come home.


	7. Way Home

“You’re late. And I thought you were quick around here.”

The strike commander smirked. Lena arrived at the hangar a few minutes late. She was panting and sweating when she arrived.

"I-I'm so sorry, sir. Had to check on my things before I leave. I wouldn't want to forget anything."

Lena took some time to catch her breath. Jack approached and looked at her, giving her time to rest. After a few moments, he led Lena to the jet.

"Of course, Agent Oxton. Now if you'll follow me..."

Lena and Jack entered the jet from the rear. They sat at seats facing each other. Jack faced a rather conscious-feeling Agent Oxton. She was carefully strapping the seatbelt in her waist.

"Make yourself comfortable. You can take a nap if you like."

"I'm fine, sir. I can stay up."

"Suit yourself. Don't mind if I do..."

Jack sighed and proceeded to slouch in his seat. He crossed his arms and looked down to take a nap. 

Lena looked around the aircraft. She couldn't help but think that it's the King's Row Uprising again. That time, she felt nervous as they were drawing near. She talked as much as she could with the strike team just so she could feel better. Everything felt better as soon as they started the mission, though.

Lena shrugged herself off. She was having deja vu... again. 

The aircraft began taking off. She heard the pilot speaking through a speaker near the cockpit.

"-Flight proceeding to Kings Row. ETA in 3 hours or so..."

As the crew prepared for flight, memories of Lena's past went up in her mind. Not long ago, Lena was just pilot, like those who were taking her and Jack to King's Row. That was when she met Jack Morrison and the rest of the crew. She longed to be part of active duty, where all the action happened. Then, things happened: Slipstream and chronal disassociation. Now, she is a part of it with the addition of abilities brought by her chronal accelerator, thanks to Winston. She couldn't help but think of everything that happened when she was in Overwatch. Her mind was racing with thoughts. Jack woke up and looked at Lena. She had a troubled and nervous look on her face.

"Everything alright, Oxton? You look like something's bothering you."

Lena took a deep breath and sighed.

"I'm fine, sir. Just feeling nervous and excited at the same time."

The rookie giggled softly. Jack stood up and sat beside her.

"It's okay, Agent Oxton. We're safe now. Look, if any trouble comes up we'll all handle it. After all, we dedicated our lives to keeping this world safe- from omnics or any bad guys."

Lena felt better. She ditched her thoughts of anything that came up. Talon, Null Sector, 'Chronal Tracer', Emily, or anything. She cleared herself and looked at Jack. 

"Yeah... you're right, sir. I was just thinking about a lot of stuff lately. Eh, I doesn't really matter. I guess I just need to rest- and I mean a lot."

Jack and Lena both chuckled. Jack patted Lena on the lap.

"Take a nap, Oxton. You'll need it. And I'm not saying that as your strike commander. I'm saying that as a friend."

Lena was surprised at what Jack said. She is now officially a friend of Jack Morrison. She smiled back at Jack, shyly.

"I will, sir. Thank you."

"You wouldn't mind if you give me a tour around your hometown, would you?"

The rookie gave a subtle nod. Jack smiled.

"My pleasure to do so. Well, do you have a place to stay?"

"Yeah. The Prime Minister arranged it for me. Places to eat and hang around though, I said I'd leave it to this young girl I know.

Jack looked and winked at her. Lena was flattered. She held back shyly and blushed as she looked at Jack.

"Good call, sir. I know a few places we can visit over tea, coffee or anything you like." 

"Sounds good. Anyway, I'll wake you up when we're near."

Jack crossed his arms and checked his watch as the aircraft ascended. Lena laid her head on a compartment to her right and closed her eyes. She took of her goggles and placed it inside her pocket. In an instant, she began to doze off. She'll be in her hometown sooner than she'll know.


	8. Bad Dream

Lena woke up abruptly. However, she noticed something was strange. She was in her apartment, lying down in her bed. Beside her was Emily, sleeping soundly. 

"What is this?"

Lena felt confused. She tried getting off the bed but she couldn’t avoid waking Emily up with her sudden movements.

"Hey..."

Emily spoke in a soft voice. She smiled as she looked at Lena. 

"What are we doing here? Did we just sleep together?"

Lena was stunned in confusion. Last time, she remembered that she was in a jet going to Kings Row. Now, she is back in her apartment, sleeping with the woman she just met in an alley near the Overwatch headquarters.

Emily rose up slowly. She was still smiling and giggling softly.

"Oh look at you, Lena. Still feeling drunk? Well, don't you remember? We just had dinner together and you said that I could stay in your place for the night since it was getting late."

The rookie felt overwhelmed. She didn’t feel drunk at all. Was she unconscious for the rest of the day? She wasn't even able to speak with Jack before they parted. It's probably just a dream, but it felt so real for her. She felt the chilly air coming from the air conditioning unit in her apartment and the fragrance of the air fresheners she placed in her bedroom. She just couldn't bring the pieces together.

While she busy thinking, Emily caught her attention.

"Lena? Umm, I just want to say something to you."

Emily moved closer and went beside Lena. Lena looked at her and stared blankly as she went towards her. Lena blushed. Now she wished that this was real.

"What is it?"

Emily moved her head closer towards Lena's. Their eyes locked on to each other. Lena started to feel awkward at what's happening.

"I-I just want to say that-"

Emily was shaking as she talked and her words sounded a bit slurred. Lena giggled at the redhead. Emily was either being nervous or shy. She smiled. It looked adorable to her.

"It's okay, Emily. You can tell me."

Emily and paused for a while and laid her head in Lena’s lap. She then inhaled deeply and pulled herself together. She was about to tell Lena what she was feeling.

"I really like you, Lena. Since back in the day when we first met. You were nice to me. I know this sounds pretty crazy, but I want to let you know."

Lena was shocked at the sudden outburst of words that Emily told her. She thought that maybe, just maybe, Emily also has the same feelings for her. She smiled as Emily paused before she spoke.

"I-"

Emily was cut off. The window in Lena's bedroom shattered as a grappling hook attached itself. In an instant, a tall woman broke in, holding a rifle. Lena recognized her. She was the same person that attempted to assassinate her back in the alley.

The woman aimed her rifle at Lena but she evaded the shot. She went out to the living room to get her pulse pistols. She looked around and saw the door to her apartment was opened. She didn't mind it and focused on dealing with the assassin. 

Lena zipped back to the bedroom but she was incapacitated by a toxic mine. She coughed and struggled to breathe. Another figure appeared before her. It was also a woman. She was wearing a purplish-pink outfit. She knocked the rookie down to her knees as she tried to breathe. Lena tried to activate her recall but oddly, her chronal accelerator was not responding. The light emitted by the device was flashing. It was probably caused by something the woman in the purplish-pink outfit did to stop her.

Lena was gasping for air. The two ladies who broke into her apartment was before her. One of them gave out an evil laugh as she stepped on Lena. 

"--Party's over, cherie. Remember the name, Widowmaker. Because you'll be one, forever."

Widowmaker. That was the name of the assassin who tried to kill her last time. She spoke in a soft, French accent. She hung on to the grappling hook and went away. In the same time, Widowmaker's companion vanished from Lena's sight instantly.

Lena tried standing up, but to no avail. She was still squirming in the floor. She looked back and saw Emily lying in the bed, lifeless.

"E--EMILY!!!"

Lena screamed in terror. Widowmaker didn't hit her, but it went through Emily instead. Tears started building up in Lena's eyes as she looked at her corpse.

In the other side, Lena saw another person, it was the Chronal Tracer.

"This is what I was talking about. They'll deal with you, and the people you love. They will find a way to break you. Interests, loved ones, colleagues. They'll use anything against you until there's nothing left for you."

Chronal Tracer spoke in a worried tone. The rookie tried to answer but she was weakened terribly by the toxic mine. She looked down and held her breath, waiting to pass out. As she was blacking out, she looked back at where Chronal Tracer was but she was gone.

A sudden rush of turbulence woke Lena up from her sleep. She gasped heavily and took a deep breath. It was all just a dream. Lena felt relieved but she couldn't help thinking about what happened. Widowmaker, the other woman, Emily and Chronal Tracer.

Jack was standing near a window. He was looking outside. The aircraft began losing altitude and slowed down.

"What's happening, sir?"

"We're about to land. We're here."

Lena sighed deeply. She's back in her hometown too soon.

"Well, that was quick."

Jack chuckled and walked towards her. He sat down beside Lena and strapped in the seatbelt as the aircraft made its descent.

"You screamed in your sleep. Bad dream?"

"Yeah... but I guess I'm just tired."

"Heh. I figured that. What happened?"

"Trust me, sir. You don't want to know. It's kinda personal and- ehhh..."

"Hmm, I understand. Anyway, we'll hit the ground in around 10 minutes."

"Alright. Thanks, Commander Morrison."

Lena let out another sigh of relief. She disregarded everything that she saw in her dream and focused on the fact the she has finally arrived home; safe from the destruction of Null Sector.


	9. Unexpected Reunion

"We've landed successfully. The time in London is 10:32 AM. The exit will open shortly."

The pilot spoke in the comms, catching the attention of the two. The jet has set ground. As they exited the aircraft they were greeted by the warm breeze of London air. 

"SURE FEELS A LOT DIFFERENT IN HERE!"

Jack spoke loudly over the sound of the rumbling engine. Lena squinted her eyes through the smoke and put her goggles on.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN!?"

The aircraft shut down and the engine was silenced. A hail of dust and air flew through them. Jack coughed badly. 

"Nothing really. It's been a while that I've been here. Ever since we were stopped operating in England, I haven't gone to visit. Back then it was a total warzone."

Lena simply nodded in acknowledgement and let out a deep sigh. 

"I'll be heading to visit the Prime Minister. Better early than late, right?"

"Okay, sir. Good luck!"

The rookie giggled and smiled cheerfully as she bid farewell to her strike commander. Jack smiled back and started walking away. 

"Keep in touch, Oxton."

Jack waved as he left the hangar. Lena was left standing alone. She was thinking of what to do first. After a few minutes of thinking, she decided to hang around in her favorite coffee shop near her apartment before she goes back.

Lena hailed a taxi and traveled to the coffee shop. It was not far from where she was dropped off. 

London was back in track after the uprising in King's Row. People were back in the streets and the rushing sounds of vehicles were heard everywhere. Lena looked from the taxi window and saw everything. 

A sign bothered her, however. It was a sign hung on the front door of a store.

"NO OMNICS ALLOWED!" 

A few more stores passed by as she traveled and similar signs were seen on almost every building. 

It seems that the townspeople were being more cautious ever since the outbreak of Null Sector. Lena somewhat disagreed. She still believes that there are still good omnics out there. Ones like Mondatta, who Lena admired greatly. Who knows what the people would do to them if they were seen roaming the streets. Lena didn't even stop to think about it.

"We're here ma'am."

The taxi pulled over. Lena smiled at the taxi driver and paid her fare. She grabbed her bag and entered the coffee shop.

The atmosphere of the shop gave a lot of memories to Lena. The small round tables, the aroma of grounded coffee and the relaxing music all caught her attention. She loved hanging around here whenever she had the chance. As she moved to the counter, a familiar female voice caught her attention.

"Lena Oxton? Is that you?"

Lena looked around the place. Everyone was staring at her, making her feel awkward. In a distant table, she saw a redhead waving at her. It was Emily.

Lena took her coffee and sat down with Emily.

"Never thought that we'd see each other again. Who knew you'd be back so soon?"

Emily chuckled softly, smiling at Lena. Lena looked down and tried not to look at Emily. Lena was blushing and feeling quite embarrassed with all the fuss.

"I just arrived, Emily. And I still feel tired from last night."

"Tell me about it, Miss King's Row. I was already on the way back here when we met back then. I spent the whole day dozing off so far."

The two both laughed. Lena smiled and looked at Emily. Maybe meeting her again isn't that bad at all.

"You didn't have to call me that. Anyway, what fancies you here?"

"I just needed something to wake me up, and this is the nearest place from my apartment a few blocks away."

"Really? Where do you live?"

"King's Plaza."

Lena was shocked at where Emily lives. It was the same apartment that she' also in. Her eyes grew as she sipped through her coffee.

"No way! Then that means we're literally neighbors. I live there too. 10th floor 22nd unit."

"Cool! Unit 718. That's where I am. Guess I'll be seeing you more often."

Emily chuckled again. Lena was couldn't help but smile as she conversed with her. She felt a lot better around Emily's company.

"So, Emily. Where are you going after this?"

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll take a walk around or just hang around in my apartment. What about you?”

“Uhmm… well…”

Lena stammered. She was blushing again. Maybe this was her chance to hang around with Emily, she thought. But she still wasn’t too sure. She was still feeling shy around her. 

“Nothing, really. Maybe I’ll just go back home and fix a few things but… after that I don’t have any more things to do.”

Lena giggled and smiled softly. She finally decided to ask Emily.

“So uhh, do you want to- like go somewhere after we deal with our own troubles?”

Lena’s face turned red as she spoke, making her turn her head down. Emily stared at Lena, making Lena feel shudder in embarrassment.

“Ahahaha! Are you kidding? I’d love to!”

The look from Lena's face immediately turned into a big smile as Emily uttered her words. She turned her head back up and faced Emily.

“Really!? Cool! I’ll meet you in the lobby then, at around 1 PM?”

“Sure thing! Ground floor, apartment lobby, left corridor near the lounge. First one there gets free ice cream from the loser!”

“Oh!? Are you challenging me to a game of speed? Big mistake, love…”

“We’ll see about that, Lena. Anyway, we should probably get going now.”

Lena and Emily walked together on the way to the apartment, sharing stories as they walked. The two laughed and smiled as they took turns in sharing. Lena felt comfortable with Emily’s company, and so did Emily. They felt as if a spark just hit them; that it was their fate that led them to bump each other again in England since the last time.


	10. Warning

Lena rushed back into her apartment. She’s probably in a huge head start compared to Emily, she thought. She laid back in her sofa in excitement. Lena will be spending some one-on-one time with Emily. As Lena pondered in her room, her mind was racing with thoughts on where they would go. Should they go see a movie, eat out in a fancy restaurant, go shopping in a nearby store? She was too excited.

A clang of metal interrupted Lena from her daydreaming. The noise came from the kitchen. She cautiously moved towards the kitchen, slowly dragging out her pulse pistols. She suspected that the person in her apartment was Widowmaker.

“Widowmaker! I know you’re there! Stop being a coward and fight me face to face!”

In an instant, Lena blew from her cover and aimed her pistols at the person. Upon recognizing the person, Lena holstered her pistols and fell back. It was Chronal Tracer. Lena let out a sigh of relief at once.

“Why are you always creeping up on me? Showing up on my house and messing my stuff without my knowledge isn’t the best idea especially with someone who is trying to kill me. You could’ve just called me out, love.”

Chronal Tracer nodded slightly in acknowledgement and turned around, putting Lena’s stuff back in place.

“I understand, Lena. I’m sorry. Also, who the hell is Widowmaker?”

“Widowmaker is the person who tried to kill me last time. I saw her face in my dream along with another woman. You were there too.”

Lena calmed down. She erased her thoughts on Widowmaker and focused on meeting with her new friend.

“I have to go, mini-me. I have a friend to meet up with. See ya later, love.”

The Brit patted Chronal Tracer’s shoulder and went going. As Lena was about to close and lock the door, Chronal Tracer caught up with her.

“Lena, you should know I was there too… in your dream. I was the one speaking to you.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“It’s just that… Watch yourself out there, because I can’t always be there at times…”

"I can look after myself. You don't have to worry about me..."

"Like I said, Lena. These guys operate in a different way. They use anything you have as a tool to take you down. Your friends, family, they're not safe."

"Stop-! Just... ugh, I'm really having a very good day right now and I don't want to trouble myself with this too much. It's just as if I'm talking to my conscience in person..."

"I know. I'll take it from here... Just look after yourself... and Emily-"

Lena stopped and thought about what Chronal Tracer said. As she went down to the lobby, she kept thinking about it; of how she could be putting Emily’s life in danger as well. She had to do something about this Talon, as Chronal Tracer said before. A new threat could emerge any day. Lena discarded her thoughts and focused on her plans for today. She was running late already.


End file.
